The Forge Of Life
by TheGreatHibiki
Summary: It wasn't suppose to be this way, but with Croeca Mors destroyed and Ozpin giving him two months to design a new weapon to replace it, he's taking every chance he can to fix what he feels is his worst problem. Yet as Ruby helps him to build the perfect weapon, he learns more than he bargains for from his fellow Huntsmen and Huntress' about what it means to be a Huntsman.
1. It BROKE?

It wasn't suppose to be this way, but with Croeca Mors destroyed, Ozpin has given him two months to design a new weapon to replace it. Yet as Ruby helps him to build the perfect weapon, he learns more than he bargains for from his fellow Huntsmen and Huntress'.

The Forge of Life

by

Hibiki

Chapter One: It.. Broke!?

-o0O0o-

Jaune Arc was never the strongest in his family. In fact he was the weakest and it did little to help his self-esteem when you realize he was a middle child and the only boy of eight. When a little sister three years your junior could make Yang and Nora look like lightweights, as she lifted the entire house in a temper tantrum every now and then, it REALLY hurt your self-esteem. In the Arc family, being a solider, or a Huntsmen and Huntress was in their blood. 'All except Jaune.', his sisters would say. 'Jaune took after Mom.' Once again he could not refute the fact. His sisters took after their father. Nicholas Arc was stout and heavily built man, a build built for taking hits and giving more, his sisters had very much the same physique though, of course with more feminine attributes. He shook his head. Jaune however was tall and thin, much like his mother who had retired early in her huntress career to devote her self to her house and growing number of children. There was nothing wrong with that either, Juniper Arc-nee-Wald was still a warrior, but of a different style than her husband. The Arc style, that had become beholden to Jaune's family was to keep your ground, take hits and hold the line, this way of fighting dating back to his Great-Great-Grandfather's time as a footman in the Great War. It shouldn't have mattered, but due to this build of his, his father never once felt obligated to train him. It wasn't from a lack of love, nor was it from a lack of desire. Jaune's build was just simply incapable of using the style the man knew.

Many would argue he should have asked the other parent, and they would be right to mention it. Juniper's style, the very few times Jaune saw it, felt more closely aligned to Blake and Weiss' style of hit and run tactics with tactical finesse. His mother was more agile and acrobatic than even Pyrrha's flowing stances and Ruby's Scythe enhanced dodges. Like everything she did, his mother did it with poise and strength that defied yet accentuated her slender nature. Given him and his mother's similarities, he could have... should have done it too. But Juniper's fighting style was simply impossible to teach without certain basics that she sadly would be unable to impart due to rules set with her Atlesian military background. No one wanted to send him to Atlas to train in those basics either. Beyond the money, the life Juniper lead before meeting Nickolas was not one she liked to dwell. So that was the end of it as far as his family was concerned. To them, Jaune Arc, sole male heir to the Arc line, bound to be a farmer or store keep while his more combat suited family kept him safe, dumb, and happy.

That's where his current... well he had been honest so far, might as well continue, It was where his ENTIRE crux lay. He WAS an Arc, he WAS suppose to fight with a shield and sword, hold his position so the rest of the team could do what needed to be done without fear. Only, he didn't have the build for it. He didn't really know where to go from there. None of his family used Aura like the people of Beacon and the other schools did either. There was no secret chant or poem to wrought it out. It was through a special family secret training for them, and few Arcs ever used semblance, it was really never needed. Of course with the way the Arcs unlocked your Aura, if you were never allowed to do the training, then you would not need to know about Aura. Therefore they had no need to explain it to him. Another thing that had held him back. He knew they meant everything in the nicest way possible, but between his family's insistence that he remain a civilian, and his town's half joking comments that he'd be better suited as a housewife than a huntsman, he had remained a ignorant and awkward child, doing what he could to look cool and heroic when everyone around him was cooler and more heroic. His baby sister killed a beowolf when she was five with her bare hands... okay bare hands and a house. He almost couldn't look anyone in the eye afterward when going into the village when it became known that his injury was from being flung over said house to get him out of her way when he had tried to protect her form the beast. How do you look cool with a broken arm when you say your little sister, not the Grimm, did that to you?

It really wasn't fair, Jaune realized, to blame anyone. But it was hard not to feel reticent when you are the only one not gearing up to go and save people's lives, to make a difference to the world like he wanted to listening to stories his father told of his family. It only grew with every year more of his older sisters went of to Signal academy. It accumulated into a year he did not speak to his father, when his eldest sister was celebrated by the entire village as their first Hunter to be accepted into Beacon. She would go on to be the only one, as the rest of his sisters would go one to other finishing schools. However the fact she got into Beacon brought home the fact he would never have a chance to become a Huntsman. He had tried to reason with this father for years, that if Nicholas Arc wouldn't train him, maybe he could find someone at Signal who would. Nickolas had finally relented and said if they had the money they would let him go. He even worked in the village doing chores and what work a boy growing into teen would legally be able to do to add to the 'Send Jaune to Signal' fund. Then his eldest sister got accepted into Beacon, and all the extra money they had, even his contributions, along with his faint glimmer of hope, vanished. 'Sorry,' his sister and parents would say, 'But graduating from Beacon is not something to be taken lightly.' Being a Beacon graduate would open up almost every door possible to a hunter, and was a dream worth it's weight in Lien for every Huntsman and Huntress in Vytal, but why did that cost have to come from his dreams as well? He could not wrap his head around it and despite all the love he felt for his family, resentment began to build in Jaune's heart. When his last and littlest sister patted his cheek, incidentally and irritatingly knocking him onto his butt, told him she'd protect him before heading to Signal; it was the straw that broke the camels back. When the family has all gone off to school or missions, he stole his family's heirloom, faked transcripts using his elder sister's old ones, and was accepted into beacon, a year after his sister left the academy. A man-child with the heart in the right place, but literally nothing else.

No matter how many years of watching someone do the moves, he couldn't get the power in his strikes the same as his littlest sister could. No matter how much he tried to emulate his father, he didn't have the man's sheer size to put a defense up like Nicholas could. It took Pyrrha to even get him to understand and unlock his Aura, unlike the training the rest of his family could. No matter how much the rest of the class moved forward, much like the style he desperately hoped but knew he could never master, he remained stuck unable to follow as they grew by leaps and bounds.

Still none of that mattered at the moment. Honestly, why did he drift off like that? Oh right, Cardin had walloped him pretty good. His shield had been struck off him arm with the larger man's mace, and had sent Jaune flying. While things had gotten better between him and Cardin, the Winchester boy was still a powerhouse, and this sparing match had shown it. When it all came down to it though, the Arc style with Nikos improvements was still a style he could feel in his bones was not the right one for him. But it was who he was, right? He HAD to make it work, it was in his blood, the blade in his hand was his family's! He had to do them prou-OH SHIT CARDIN WAS SWINING AGAIN!

Without a shield, Jaune brought Croeca Mors up to block the attack as the crowd cried out at the devastating blow being sent to the downed knight.

CLANG-C-C-CRACC-CK-chink.

Pain and a blinding light filled the room. When it cleared Cardin was rolling on the ground trying to rub the blindness of the flash from his eyes, his mace laying beside him. Jaune tried to blink the stars from his eyes as he looked around the room. Everyone's eyes were on him, many had looks he had seen far too many times before, when he had tried to do something and failed. Pity, he hated that look. Pyrrha was covering her mouth with her hand, the look in her eyes was unbearable so he moved from her. Besides her, both Ren and Nora seemed hesitant, so unlike her, yet fit his male teammate perfectly. RWBY was next and looked no better. In fact Ruby looked like she was going to cry. He guessed it was nice the four girls liked him enough to look at him like that but why was Ruby and Yang holding onto their weapons with such fervor.

"This match is over!" Goodwitch announced, letting Jaune lower his arm. He must have been woozy still, he could barely feel his weapon in his hand. Slowly rising to his feet he looked as Goodwitch gave him a similar look to the crowds. Oh god, was half of his face caved in? Was he going to die? She never looked like that. "The match is a draw, due to depletion of Aura and destruction of weapon." Huh, destruction of weapon. That mace must be... looking rather intact. A chill went through him. "Mr. Arc, if you would be so kind to allow me to inspect your weapon, I may be able to repair it." Jaune looked down, only to find a hilt in his hand, the blade broken off in a jagged ragged line of twisted metal. The blade had taken as much as it could before bending on of the old chips that the sword had gained from almost a century ago. Apparently the larger man had put a lot of effort in ending the match in that swing and the sword had finally given in and the blade had snapped off. Numbness filled him as he woodenly handed the remains of the hilt while an apologetic Cardin handed her the remaining piece of the blade. You never messed with a Hunter's weapon. Breaking one in a duel was bad form, but most could accept it and move on, they had spares. But like Jaune, people knew Croeca Mors was more than a weapon, it was a family heirloom. An irreplaceable family heirloom. Goodwitch's semblance erupted up and down the blade in purple light, bringing the young blonde hope, but after several tense moments she sighed and allowed the items to fall into her hands, and his fear to grow. "I'm sorry, but the blade has been completely ruined from Mr. Winchester's attack."

 _My family is going to kill me._

Next Chapter: The Forgotten Forge

-o0O0o-

Well. I guess I should introduce myself.

Hello, for those who don't know me I'm Hibiki, I've been writing fanfiction for far longer than I should, but even before that I had being interested in writing since I was a very young boy. Sadly, I never properly learned things that could be useful. Like Grammar. Oh well, such is life. I'm now in my thirty's so yeah I'm kinda old, but hey I'm like fine wine. That's been improperly made. Damn.

 **To my Naruto fans:** Apologies must come in a large dose for my first return to writing a fan work in nearly three years. To those whom know of me and are hoping for more of my older Naruto works, I'm sorry but that ship has sailed. The canon story got too weird and too over the top for me to continue to be a fan, not to mention the ending. Bleck. I sadly lost interest in the series which is sad, I rather enjoyed writing in it before hand. However real life has a way of hitting you when you are down and keep on punching. I've nearly lost my studio more times than I want to admit, worked my butt off to keep it, and more importantly, lost both a friend and my father to illness in this year prior. I could not find the time nor gain any interest to write. It was only recently that I got back into reading fiction. However with Naruto being a pile of mess I wanted no part of **(To those who care, my unfinished Naruto works will soon be given all of what I did have written for them and adoption papers as well, hoping they will have good homes in those still willing to follow them.)** Sorry again my loyal fans, but I once again apologize. (Though after three years I hope it was noticeably I was out of the Naruto circle.)

 **The new fiction direction:** So with that part of my fandom fading away, I began looking at other avenues that still held interest. Living in Texas as I do, I always had the chance to see things done by Rooster Teeth sooner than most, one of those being a quirky little pseudo anime.. So I latched onto something that has always had my interest but I pointedly refused to get into the fiction of... until they killed off everyone in the show I liked. RWBY. Yeah I love it but Rooster Teeth you suck. I quickly found three truly interesting authors, Coeur Al'Aran, College Fool, and Super Saiyan Cyndaquil, whose story seem to focus on what could probably be considered the most mailable piece in an already openly vague world. Jaune Arc. I began thinking of many interesting little stories in this similar vein, some happy, some sad, some heartbreaking, and others that made me giggle at the thought of doing them. Ergo this one. This goofy story, admittedly will be a little shallow at times and plays on Jaune's... er... numerous faults, using a slightly played on Jaune's family are kinda pricks meme, will be a character building fun romp. I shall need it because while I have no doubt darker themes will slip in from time to time, this will be a fun little time as Jaune tries to find that perfect weapon.

What I need this happy humor story as a stress valve for, is because this story will soon be followed by a far more serious piece that will continue in a AU direction of the last ten minutes of Volume 3. And no, despite how sad I am Pyrrha died it will be that piece correct because these three RWBY writers are correct in that she needed to go, no matter how much it sucked. But my change is the thought of what if Blake hadn't run? If Weiss had managed to talk her down from being a scared little kitten and face her guilt and fear like a panther she can be instead? How much would things change from what we saw when Ruby woke up if Blake was there? How better would Yang be if Blake, the person she had lost her arm for had not thrown her sacrifice away in her fear was beside her for the same? What if Blake went with the newly formed Team RNGR(Ranger)? How better would the world fair when this group began their trip towards Haven?


	2. The Forgotten Forge

It wasn't suppose to be this way, but with Croeca Mors destroyed and Ozpin giving him two months to design a new weapon to replace it, he's taking every chance he can to fix what he feels is his worst problem. Yet as Ruby helps him to build the perfect weapon, he learns more than he bargains for from his fellow Huntsmen and Huntress' about what it means to be a Huntsman.

The Forge of Life

by

Hibiki

Beta'd by

No one.

Imagine you could have the rights to RWBY, but for the rest of your life, you would have to clean up every mess or problem created by every Rooster Teeth 'Million Dollars, But..." challenge accepted. Would it be worth it? Not for me.

RWBY is created by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

Chapter Two: The Forgotten Forge

-o0O0o-

Gone. His families legacy lay on the desk of their headmaster, looking sad and rejected from all the whirling and clanking gears and springs around them that went on about their day still able to do their duty. The room was silent for a moment as JNPR stood in reflection of that once formidable weapon, but none more-so than Jaune.

"It IS regrettable for such a thing to have happened, however in the end, you are here and without harm, so Croeca Mors has done it's job brilliantly, you can ask nothing better than a weapon to do as it was meant to." The calm even steady tone of Ozpin was almost in time with the clocks around him, just paced enough to sound lax but not slow enough to not convey true regret. "This blade has even saved my life before, keeping me safe from a unknown assailant had it not been for your grandfather's heroics young man." Jaune's eyes rose as the headmaster's hand went to the point of breakage. "In fact, if I were to guess the break in the blade where it's failure started appears where he caught the axe aimed for my head."

"But my grandfather only took up the blade after his father died. He only wielded it in during the Great War... that would make you..." He trailed off, uncertain if it would be rude or unseemly to mention an event that had happened over 80 years prior, and there was no way the headmaster looked remotely over the age of 30, silver hair not-withstanding. "uh... never mind."

"Well, there IS a reason I have an statue which features this blade in my courtyard, it helps me remember to why I am freely able to keep my colorful thoughts to myself, and not share them with the forest floor." He took a sip of his coffee. "None the less, that is a conversation for a perhaps less busier time. As I was saying, as a combat school, unless your chosen skill is unarmed combat or a spare weapon is available, you will be unable to continue in the classes you elected. We as teachers would be remiss should we allow a unarmed student to linger where he or she could quite easily die. Therefore, I will be forced to remove you from Beacon by the start of the next semester unless your situation can be rectified." Jaune's small vague glimmer of hope, that despite the fake transcripts and weapon breaking meant he could still become a Huntsmen, died before it's embers fully could ignite. Two months? Give or take a few days if he could remember? Even pouring himself into working like he did before he wouldn't make enough Lien to buy the type of combat quality metal in an amount needed to forge a new sword, let alone find someone who could craft it.

"I don't see a way I can get a replacement in that time."

"I see. That is unfortunate." Goodwitch said with little emotion, Jaune's back shivered at her stare and he forced himself to look at his feet as he tried to think of a way to stay at the first place he had felt like he could belong.

"So that's it then? You're forcing my partner to quit?" Pyrrha's voice broke no calm tone but the firmness of iron found in it made even Jaune, hopelessly lost in his own self made misery, look to her in awe. The two teachers remained unaltered by the quiet venom brought forth by the Mistral champion. A oddly quiet cough from the hammer wielder brought more attention than she would like but she continued her question.

"um... could ah... um... Maybe his family can send a spare?" Nora's optimism was nice, but hopelessly crushed by reality.

"No, it took everything I could make to get here, asking for money I know they don't have would put my three younger sisters out of their chances at a graduate hunter academy. I might be in trouble for breaking the family blade but the girls shouldn't loose their chances because of their idiot, useless, older brother. I've brought enough shame to the family than to add more." Not to mention they could easily and quite probably would kill him if they couldn't continue their training because of Jaune the failure.

"...Jaune." There was varying degrees of tone when his teammates said his name, with Ren being the most understanding, Pyrrha the most sad, and Nora the most annoyed.

"I've told countless students every year this very same thing, you would really think I might mention it when I can tell everyone. I run a combat school that accepts individuals from all walks of life. Rich and poor. Weapons break often enough, though with the passage of years has also come with such overspecialization of these weapons..." He paused admiring Nora's hammer. "...that our school's need of a forge has made it become a relic of a bygone age. None the less, there is a way for Mr. Arc to retain his status as a Huntsman in training here at Beacon."

"And that is sir?" Jaune's hopeful expression.

"Why... Simply forge a new weapon in Croeca Mors place."

"So I can make a new weapon and be able to stay!" Jaune's smile brought a sigh from Goodwitch's face as she adjusted her glasses.

"However, I must warn you children that the forge was sealed off in an unused portion of the academy. To be honest, I don't know of where the workshop is located at all, perhaps Professor Port would know, Peter often goes there to find Grimm to use during his classes. But because of the creatures, we will need to make it a mission for two teams to secure the equipment if it's transportable or create a safe passage way to the facilities for you to be able to work." A larger than average scroll beeped in front of Ozpin, not once but twice, quirking an eyebrow the headmaster began to read the scroll in earnest, ignoring the situation in front of him.

"I really don't have enough Lien to pay for this... I can't think of any team that does missions who would do it for free." Jaune remarked, quite honestly just tired of this twisted game of emotions the two professors were playing on him. Glynda looked to Ozpin as he calmly surveyed a scroll screen.

"Hmm, you seem to be in luck, Mr. Arc. It appears a team is available for such an endeavor, once the police clear them of any wrong doing at the docks." Another sip of coffee. "Given the closeness you team has with them I can imagine them wanting to assist you even before I offer this mission in lieu of detention. Fortuitous indeed that their leader is certified in crafting almost every weapon you can think of, and would be invaluable in the time you take to craft a suitable replacement." Another sip. "But that is not the best part of it."

"And that it?" Jaune was confused, a free team, an ability to make a weapon to stay at beacon, to stay with his team?

"The master craftswoman can be paid with cookies." Ozpin remained quiet a moment before smirking as Goodwitch sighed, trying to rub away a growing migraine.

"What did those girls do, NOW?" Wait girls, close team to his own, cookies? Was he talking about...?

-o0O0o-

"How does one lose a whole fabrication facility anyway? It's not like they're small, I mean most dust based forges are compact enough to be mobile, but the remaining supplies required to use a foundry would mean at least a space of... Well a lot of space!" Weiss complained again for the third time in as many minutes.

Jaune might have had a major crush on the girl, and she might be absolutely right about the fact the two teams were lost in a older section of Beacon that hadn't a soul in it in almost five years... Minus Port. But that still didn't mean that the attitude was helping him think.

It really didn't help that the lighting made the mood seem ever so bleak too. The many rooms were barely lit, only emergency lighting was working in the halls and given the abandoned wing was located on the forever fall side of the school, what little non artificial light that seeped into the empty classrooms was tinged red. It gave the rooms an eerie haunted appearance as if the walls were coated in blood. It made for a feeling of somberness and unease that was felt both teams RWBY and JNPR... Almost everyone, Nora seemed pretty oblivious.

It also didn't help that coupled with the feelings the ambiance brought, given that they were in an abandoned part of a school which housed teens and young adults. The same hormonally imbalanced group would be in the four years here, living, loving, failing, and everything in between, it meant a multitude of emotions were thrust into their auras in the gamut of massive highs and more often than not impressive lows. To be honest he himself was probably a bright flare in this shining beacon of teen angst. Oh God, he made a pun in his head. He had been hanging around Yang too much. But the results were the same, daily drama and life at beacon truly produced the perfect atmosphere for negativity hungry Grimm. In a way it surprised Jaune that they had only fought off a flock of miniature nevermore, a lone boarbatusk, and a pair of young beowolf. But then he reminded himself that they had only been twenty minutes into the search thus far.

"I don't know, in Sanctum, we had a forge large enough to handle a weapon twice the size of our tallest student in my year, but it was located outside in case of accidents and to be close to the testing range. How was it in Atlas or Signal?" Pyrrha asked nicely, ignoring Nora as she skipped along a deserted side area with Ren sighing before following to return her to the group.

"Unfortunately I don't know what Atlesian military's workshops are like, my blade was crafted by a private blacksmith of the highest ability at White Castle. Sorry." Weiss, he gathered, was not truly trying to prove her superiority. She just really didn't seem to have a way with words.

"Signal had an older styled forge, it didn't use dust but coal." Yang started distractedly. Trying to keep the normal everyday dust from getting into her hair as they walked. A futile gesture as every step and breath made billowing clouds of it. Nora causing most of it with her movements.

"But that meant the temperaments could be much more controlled than you get with dust. It means more sustained temperatures and thus stronger metals!" He got half of what Ruby said, but her enthusiasm was contagious and allowed him to be hopeful in Ozpin's suggestion about Ruby's craftsmanship. She did build Crescent Rose after all, so that was something.

"There is a sign laying on the floor that says 'Foundry' over there." Blake pointed into a even darker area that Jaune couldn't even see the end of, but RWBY and JNPR trusted each other enough to enter a smaller, much more older looking part of the wing. Two hallways vanished into the darkness and on the wall were numerous signs. Most were faded out of recognition and a only after staring hard did Jaune see a half laying half fallen sign with the word foundry on it. Man, Blake had good eyesight.

"That is impressive Blake, I couldn't even see this sign from back there. You have the eyes of a faunas." Pyrrha remarked only pausing when Blake's shocked expression and sudden lack of movement caused her to look back to her friend worried. "Blake? What's wro-." Pyrrha's eyes widened a moment at Blakes bow, before looking into the other girl's amber eyes, cautiously asked a question. "Are you... a faunas?"

"Pyrrha." Ruby's tone was fitting of her role as leader, and just cautioning enough to get her point across. The red headed warrior gently stepped back as RWBY was around their stunned teammate in a heartbeat, looking between worry and anger at Pyrrha's question.

"B-Blake... I'm not... Please don't think I..." Pyrrha's tone echoed her look of hurt and lost more than anything. She was struggling to speak her mind as so many things tried to come out at once. To try and stop her friends from putting a space between her and them. Thankfully Ren came to her aid.

"What Pyrrha is trying to say is, we don't care." Jaune nodded.

"Right, who cares is Blake's a pretty kitty, I like her!" From out of nowhere, Nora was standing next to Blake somehow in the middle of RWBY. Blake started, uncertain how the Valkyrie had gotten so scarily close but blushed at the words said as Nora did nothing more than playfully poke her nose. "Boop."

"You KNEW?/HOW'D you know she's/I'm a CAT?" Came everyone's question as Nora merely smiled and pointed to her own head.

"Uh, the cat ears, you sillies!" Silence.

"But she hides them in a bo-oh how could we miss that!" Yang looked ready to pull at her hair in frustration. The leader of this expedition and RWBY's sister team came forward, resting a hand on Blake's shoulder.

"If you want to keep it a secret, Blake, that's no problem. Team JNPR is on board." Jaune replied. "I mean what are friends for?" Blake smiled but to his utter horror she also began to shed a few tears. "A-are you okay!? I didn't hurt you did I?" The girl shook her head, wiping away the tears.

"Just the dust is all, don't worry."

"Alright Lady-killer, stop making my partner cry and let's find the goods." Yang teased as she lifted the very basic sign, and examined it's simple nature. So simple in fact in fact, only a wooden arrow was bolted to the sign to denote the direction of their goal. Only the arrow pointed straight up. Yang touched the arrow and it spun easily around. "The pointer is busted." With a flick of a finger, the arrow spun so fast it looked to be a solid circle for several seconds before slowing and finally pointing mostly to the right hallway. "So we're going this way!" Yang chuckled while Weiss gave a scoff of dissension as Yang began walking in the way the arrow pointed.

"That's hardly a logical thing to do! We should be systematic! Thorough and investigative! Not trying to luck your way everywhere!"

"Pff, please Ice Queen, trust me, it IS down here. You just gotta chill and 'Yang' with it." Groans filled the air. "Eh? Eh?"

"Someone make her stop." Ruby intoned wincing her eyes at the sight of her sister yukking it up with a pun.

From the gloom two large, red eyes peered out at them from behind Yang as if to answer Ruby's plea. The older sister's smile faded into a frown and she looked more than a little peeved at the intruder.

"You just picked the wrong time to mess with me, bub." From the shadows, towering over Yang as she took calm cautious steps back, was the black head of a King Taijitu.

"How on earth did this thing fit inside the school!?" Weiss' question, once again, was absolutely right in asking, there was no way this fully grown snake Grimm should have been able to get in here, but it really wasn't the best time to complain.

"Back up and try the other hallway, maybe we can get to a better position to fight it." Jaune remarked.

"On it!" Ruby remarked, She Weiss and Pyrrha moving towards the other hallway. They barely made it three feet as a second set of eyes moved forward into the light. The white head flicked it's tongue at them menacingly. "No good, the other head is here!" Weapons folded out, transformed and loaded new shells in. All in all it was an awe inspiring sound, and Jaune felt totally useless for it, holding his little shield like his life depended on it.

"Then let's get to it!" Yang yelled and jumped into the fray. Battle filled the old school halls.

It took many minutes of hair raising moments and too many close calls but it all came to a head. (An: God dammit Yang.) when between Pyrrha and Weiss, the light head of the King Taijitu was soon cut from the body by Ruby's scythe, leaving Jaune, and the others to deal with the more aggressive head.

"We're just not doing enough damage, we need to punch through it's armor" Ren commented and Jaune and Yang nodded.

"I can get it, I just need a little more oomph!"

"Got it! Nora! Give her a boost!" Jaune cried out, looking to his hammer wielding teammate.

"Right!" Nora's grin bordered on scary as she wound up. "Batters up!" Yang smirked and jumped into the air, her boots landing on the broad hammer head as she and Nora showed perfect synchronicity when they propelled the golden haired bullet through what appeared the sound barrier and barely a moment later a fiery punch attached to an equally fiery red eyed girl followed in a resounding crunch. Yang and the now dying Viper like Grimm disappeared into the darkness. Silence reigned for a moment.

"Nailed it." Smugness was all Jaune could hear in Yang's voice. "Oh! I found the forge! Told ya! Whose the Yang! I am, haha!" Everyone sighed in exasperation. There would be no living with her after this. Thankfully, he didn't have to. The rest followed the sound of Yang self congratulating herself and eventually, through the dissolving Grimm, they saw it.

"It's just like the one at Signal! It's beautiful! A Vale-F3A model with a variable..." Jaune sorta tuned Ruby out as she began rapid firing so much information that had he tried to comprehend his ears would have bled, so he focused on his salvation sitting forlorn and forgotten in this nook of the old wing. It was a little hard to see the shape in the darkness, mostly what he got out of it, the forge looked like a dark igloo barely different to the shadows. Around it several odds and ends were scattered on worn but heavily constructed tables. But as confusing as it was to look at, for the first time in days he felt like things were finally in his favor. "...-o what do you think Jaune?" Oh crap, Ruby was done talking. He had stopped paying attention completely, lost in his happy dreams. Better just agree and figure it out later than make her mad. Not only did he not want to hurt his friend's feelings, he also REALLY didn't want her to not help him make a new weapon.

"Totally and one hundred percent behind you on that." Wait... why was everyone looking at him weird.

"Oh Jaune." He voice was filled with such affection the older blonde could do nothing but blush at the warm look he was receiving. "We're going to make such beautiful babies together." ….Uh... Wait, WHAT? He blinked, suddenly pale, before scooting towards a face palmed Yang. Ruby didn't mean what he thought she meant, did she? She wasn't even 16 yet, did she even know what she sounded like?

"Uh, Yang?" Yang sighed.

"Let me guess, you lost track of what she was saying, sorta tuned her out, and agreed to whatever she said not to sound rude, right?" While he was probably the poster child for dumb blondes, but let it be said Yang only acted like she was because that was... completely spot on.

"Uh... yup..." Ruby had gone to admire the forge so he felt safe admitting the truth. Yang didn't seem like she was going to kill him so I hope more than anything he had misheard his absolutely underage friend in what honestly sounded like she was talking about... That. "She does mean making weapons, right?"

"Yeah, it's Ruby after all. But boy oh boy, Jauney-boy, you've just set yourself up for a world of pain." She seemed WAY too happy about it too. Before he could respond to the blonde bombshell, an utterly massive tome fell into his arms. With the sudden weight forced onto his person he dropped like a rock onto his knees. It also had his face planted into the dust ridden floor. When Jaune managed to shake off the sting of the fall and look up, he found standing before him with a very large and almost sadistic smirk on her face, was the mother of his 'babies'. As she put it.

"On your feet Arc, get to reading ASAP! I want a summary of pages one to a hundred on my desk by noon tomorrow. Practicals will be held in three days, I want to see initiative student!" A finger was put into his face. "Do you understand me?" Yang's wide grin surely meant that his expression was priceless, as the rest of his friends looked on with various other countenances, once again his hated expression being the most popular. Pity. Dammit.

But all he could do WAS agree. Literally his last hope of achieving his dreams was being uprooted from the floor by Nora and Yang, to be taken to a place Ruby and he could safely work. Ren and the others looked to be gather everything of value they could. So literally all he had to do was read this book and learn how to make something. ANYTHING. A sword couldn't be that hard, could it? He took a quick glance at the first page and his heart dropped.

Was this in another language? There were diagrams explaining diagrams. Whatever this all said was also written in tiny little font. Literally, his entire collection of X-Ray and Vav had less words written in them than this single page he stared at, and had him swallowing painfully against the lump in his throat.

What did any of this MEAN?

Next Chapter: Three Wheeled Test

-o0O0o-

AN: Well, that's different. Not use to getting more reviews about an AN than the actual story. I'm also not use to replying to them but I feel the need.

 **Damn it Bobby:** Is it wrong to say thank you for being the only one (thus far when I write this) that reviewed who seems to be interested in the intended story? Yeah this is a setup for why Jaune is the way Jaune is. What motivated a clearly unready man-child to try his hand at being a huntsman when clearly most people go to primary combat schools before Beacon like Sanctum, Signal, and there must be something like it in Vacuo? Probably named Shadow or something due to Shade being the graduate school like Beacon and Haven. It's reviews like this that will keep me pumping these out. Thanks again.

 **Dragoon109:** She needed to go because it was her destiny. She was a huntress, Cinder was and sadly did disrupt the peace a hunter would have tried to protect. Perhaps it was as Roman said, Every huntress and huntsmen in history had died, perhaps he was being literal, perhaps he wasn't. Needless to say, while I absolutely did not want Pyrrha, my favorite character, to die I understood from a writer's standpoint I can see the reasons Monty, Miles, and Kerry had planed it from the beginning.

Phew, that's a lot of hate for the people who name the series there, partner. Arrogant, self righteous little girls fit them well, to be honest. They are only 17. I remember being a lot like that then they are without amazing super powers at that age. As for the murdering part... well, you got me. But at the same time, you got EVERYONE who had a part of that. Mostly, the idiots who kept driving normally when a bunch of kids jumped onto their cars and decided to keep driving normally when obviously a giant robot followed. I'd say GET THE FUCK OFF THE ROAD before you were flung into behind the paladin, but in all honesty Monty, and the rest were probably hoping we were not noticing a little thing like disposable car extras when moments later the girls began shouting out ship names that also coincided with nifty attacks. Ruby the leader, Blakes White fang connections, and basically everything else you mentioned? So I dunno what you want to hear or say from me, because despite living two hours down the road from them, I still can't ask the Crwby a damn thing. As for character growth or team RWBY needing to be rebuilt... Pyrrha dying is a good start to the first one. She IS the beginning of character growth needed by RWBY and the others. From her death, the gears for Remnant's only chance for lasting peace begin moving. The old ones merely had to be thrown aside. Yeah... I went there. And frankly by the end of volume three there IS no team RWBY, it was blasted apart by Cinder, Adam, Mercury, and old man Schnee. So you might have gotten your wish except for two things. The show is named RWBY, and Ruby IS the main character. We have many volumes left to go, so who knows how things will go. Thus cease my gibbering.

 **Guest:** Dunno who you are, but I'll go ahead and respond anyway. As a writer, I found it to make a great deal of sense in a very simplified but correct path to getting to the nitty-gritty story heavy plot points. She was the catalyst for not only Jaune, but Ruby too. Her death more than likely was the required 'Get Jaune off his bum and more seriously into the story' point but it was also the "Ruby's happy world is shattered and its time to stop playing Huntress and become one' point. Pyrrha and Penny are what made the game real. It wasn't just super powered girl all star team kicking evil's butt anymore, but suddenly there were real stakes. If they didn't give it there all, people would die, limbs would be severed and the world as they knew it would crumble. Things suddenly got very sober as the rug was ripped out from under not only our main cast and the supporting ones but also for us as an audience. So no, I hate that Pyrrha died. I wanted her to get that little sliver of what we saw in 8 and 12, and I sure as hell didn't want her to send Jaune away and die alone against all odds by gasping in pain by a fucking arrow in the heart from a sadistic bitch I want to burn in hell, though said bitch would probably like it. By the way, with a name Cinder, I'm not all that certain that what you would have wanted for Jaune ISN'T in his future. It would suck if it's just as wasted as Pyrrha's and only used to catapult Ruby and company into fighting form, because I sorta have a vaunted interest in him stabbing Cinder through her dead black heart while saying it was for Pyrrha, giving our favorite warrior a true Pyrrhic victory. If he burns to death by the resulting action, that would be fitting but suck all the same. I DO like Jaune, and he IS sorta our connection to seeing RWBY and the others from the same side of the mirror than we normally do. But yeah the possibilities of him surviving another battle with the new fall maiden is probably dwindling into the single digits now, unless given who they are based on, she is the one to pluck his teammates away from him one by one, torturing not only his body, but his soul with every encounter. I really can't put that shit past her either. Killing Ren at the end of season IV, putting Nora into a suicidal rage that brings her end at season V, ultimately killing Jaune, who had finally become the bad ass we all hoped he could be by season VI, culminating into Ruby harnessing her full potential from having lost the people by her side into the power to fight back with a ten updated and more mature team RWBY. Thank god Miles and Kerry don't read Fanfiction, they don't want to be tainted by doing something other than what Monty and they planned on, with Roman being the exception due to their own fondness as well as fans for the character.

Done.

All that said and done I'll hopefully put any of that to rest on how I feel about the whole Pyrrha thing, and probably too many of my thoughts and hopes for the Canon RWBY story. With any luck we can now steer comments and reviews back to Forge of Life, because all that I just spewed out, don't want to have to keep doing that. Rather see comments about spelling something wrong since I don't have a beta or some oops, forgot a section due to my bizarre at times jumping from things I've written then filling in the gap style of writing that occasionally happens so I don't loose a good idea. Hope that clears up everything, hope to keep hearing from you all still as Forge of Life takes shape and eventually Black RNGR comes out.

Until next time, Hibiki.


	3. Three Wheeled Test

It wasn't suppose to be this way, but with Croeca Mors destroyed and Ozpin giving him two months to design a new weapon to replace it, he's taking every chance he can to fix what he feels is his worst problem. Yet as Ruby helps him to build the perfect weapon, he learns more than he bargains for from his fellow Huntsmen and Huntress' about what it means to be a Huntsman.

The Forge of Life

by

Hibiki

Beta'd by

No one.

Imagine you could have the rights to RWBY, but for the rest of your life, you would have to clean up every mess or problem created by every Rooster Teeth 'Million Dollars, But..." challenge accepted. Would it be worth it? Not for me.

RWBY is created by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

Chapter Three: Three Wheeled Test

-o0O0o-

Pyrrha looked into Jaune's bloodshot eyes, trying to figure out the multitudes of words being muttered under his breath as he wrote furiously as she had for the last few hours. It had begun to make the rest of Team JNPR very uncomfortable. They had all been awoken last night as the nearly endless stream of utterances began, and they had all begun to wonder if their leader had lost his mind. Somewhere between the nonstop chanting usually coupled with pages being flipped and more scribbling on pages, it was the consumption of more gallons of coffee than they had presumed possible for anyone to drink that brought more worry. To their knowledge he had not slept since the joint mission with RWBY, having spent every waking moment trying to write up and finish the reports Ruby had tasked him with. He had been at it since they returned and that had been two days ago. Outside of his 'okay but sloppy work, Ruby had built the pressure of him finishing the book in record time, and it was begining to feel as if the pressure had begun to crack the blonde man. Ruby had also been working nonstop since the forge and blacksmith equipment had been brought back from the abandoned wing. The teams had found a nice out of the way place outside where it could be worked on in relative peace and safety that had also fit Ruby's very specific requirements. The fifteen year old master craftswoman had been hard at work cataloging the various equipment and gathering materials, getting the rebuilt Beacon foundry ready for his up coming test which would be held tomorrow. She had even begun talking about the forge possessively, calling 'Her' forge or 'Precious'. It also seemed more materials for it were coming in every day. Apparently Ozpin had called in several favors and had bought enough metal, coal, and other necessary equipment that Jaune could practically forge the entire school replacements and still have more to work with. When questioned by Goodwitch, the headmaster merely called the expense a repayment to an owed debt while looking at the stone statue of Croeca Mors.

"Finished it." Jaune finally remarked, his team startled by his sudden silence. He shook his hand, trying to regain feeling in it from all the writing, as made his way across the hall and knocked on the door to team RWBY. Weiss opened the door and saw when she saw who it was, rolled her eyes, and moved out of the way. Sitting at a small table playing with Yang some bizarre card game was Ruby. Wordlessly she held her hand out for his work and he quietly gave it. Minutes past with Yang and Ruby paused mid game while Ruby paged through the pages. She got to the end and finally closed the almost book sized report she sighed. Yang saw Ruby's look and she conceded the game to go and get her scroll ready to record the coming storm. "Well?"

What came out of her mouth was a non cursing rant equal to that his mother Juniper would rave when he and his sisters came into the house with mud or worse yet, one of the sisters dog's crap stuck on the bottom of their shoes. Ren and Pyrrha sighed as it continued for some time. It seemed once again Jaune would get no sleep as Ruby laid into his paper with all the gentleness of an angry Yang in a china shop. However despite the tone, he was responding to her questions with surprising ease, and the smirk on the youngest Beacon Academy student's face showed her enjoyment of him understanding what she was all but interrogating him about. Not that the wide eyed man would realize it as he shakily responded with the best of his ability. He would be as ready as he could ever be, the two decided and headed to bed, after all tomorrow would be the deciding day if he could make the cut.

-o0O0o-

The day was far too bright and happy, in fact seeing Ruby's expression only made him more annoyed with the weather than he was nervous. She had gone through his reports on the summaries with a skill and tenacity that would have made his mother, his elementary school teachers, and Dr. Oobleck jealous and tore down anything he had not gotten correct with a fine tooth comb. Forced it into his brain when he didn't think there could be anything left but the material It was quite the impression he had gained from his short red caped friend. He had forced himself to stay up and reread the sections he had gotten wrong and perhaps he was beginning to feel like perhaps that had been a mistake. His limbs were like rubber, and his eyes were only open from sheer tenacity. He was running on fumes and only the thought of getting through this test then his bed were on this thoughts.

"So how is this going to work?" Nora asked, swinging her arms and legs in her usual boisterous manner. It just made him feel more tired.

"I'm going to see how good he is at thinking on his feet, putting personal touches to his work, and his overall competency in building a functional device from a set plan."

"Wait, is this the engineering aptitude test they did at Signal, Rubes?" Yang asked. Ruby said nothing, while her smile revealed everything.

"You had the same crafting test as well?" Pyrrha remarked.

"Oh so it's not just Atlas that has that? I see. I had thought Master Smederij was testing me, somehow. I had wondered why I was to build a Tricycle when I already knew how to ride a bicycle. It wasn't until I had that he told me." Weiss seemed happy to know she was not the only one forced to do something like... huh?

"Huh?" Jaune's brain was still trying to work through everything and had only just caught was being talked about.

"It's your test, you'll need to build something and it seems from the start everyone has used the same test." He was glad of his partner, everything made sense when she was around. "While it's not complicated, a tricycle is just enough of a challenge to handle for a practice. If you can't build one then you'll have to start over learning everything again until you get the basics. It's to let us see where you are so Ruby knows where to teach you and correct any flaws that could arise. "

"You know I guess I finally figured out why there were so many around the house. I always thought my older sisters were just getting them for my little sisters." Jaune finally commented on the conversation, yawning sleepily.

"I still remember mine fondly. Álogo got me to and from primary for many years without fail. In fact, some of the materials I used for Miló are from Álogo." Pyrrha replied, semblance bringing her sword to her hand as she gazed at it affectionately.

"So uh, you and Ruby did this test, Yang?" Jaune asked as Ruby and Pyrrha began talking about Miló.

"Yeah, but SOMEONE cheated." The sound of Yang's annoyed voice brought Ruby's attention back to the two blondes and her grin was predatory.

"You're still getting on me about that, dearest Yang? I swear, you're just jealous that MY tricycle is still protecting Signal to this day." Ruby couldn't look more proud while Yang glowered. Jaune, however looked confused, how could a tricycle protect a school?

"It was a half tracked self propelled artillery piece! It doesn't count!" Oh, that's how.

-o0O0o-

A Goliath trumpeted in defiance as it neared Signal Academy, charging steadily towards the main gates. It was the first of it's kind on Patch, and surprise was on it's side. It knew the humans had not seen one of it's kind here, and would not be ready for a Grimm of it's power to attack. By the time people of the main continent knew of the attack, it's Queen would have it slipped back into the herd around Beacon, leaving no hunters suspicious of the reason for the school's demise.

It cleared the treeline into a large open expanse that lead towards the school it was to target. The beast began gearing up for fatal charge. It was then it noticed something it did not expect. Glistening in the morning sun an object turned to face it. The Goliath knew trouble was there and tried to evade the thing it knew was dangerous, but it moved with surprising grace, keeping the Grimm in it's line of sight.

Thoom Thoom Thoom! Noises in the distance erupted from the shiny thing moments after three blurs disappeared in the morning glare. Committed to the charge, the elephant like Grimm kept forward until it could finally see the majority of the shiny thing. The front half had a man pedaling what looked like a child's bicycle, but the back half looked like a tank, rising well over the blonde man's head where two more persons were looking at it through binoculars. Before the dark haired duo sat a very very VERY big gun. The weirdness of the shiny thing made the Goliath pause in confusion, nothing the Queen had said mentioned this odd shiny thing. It was then it realized that it wasn't so much running through a clearing as a series of craters. The beast turned around, the Grimm knew it needed to run, to warn the Quee-!

Two of the three previously fired rounds removed the giant Grimm from existence in a brilliant explosion. Back at Signal, three men congratulated themselves before pausing to send a report of the type of Grimm Ruby's 'T(actical).R(esponse).-1-cyle had demolished to the head master at Signal and the local hunters guild.

"I told ya Qrow, half the yield would work on that thing. You still get a Tai-bang!"

"Oh... I'm so glad Yang graduated. One of them is bad enough" Muttered the nameless instructor on the loading mechanism.

"Shut up Taiyang." There wasn't enough alcohol on Patch to put up with the man's insufferable puns this early in the morning. Qrow's eyes surveyed the fading remains of the Grimm, wondering what _she_ was up to. It was time to send Oz another message.

-o0O0o-

"I got a A-, and what did you get, oh sister of mine?"

"They gave you an A- because they were scared you would turn that thing on them, 'Mad Genius'! I got a B+ and didn't have to do all that stuff. Honeybee is perfect just the way she is."

"Grr, don't remind me of what people called me, and that golden rust bucket's just lying around useless in Dad's shed."

"Don't talk about my baby that way!"

"Geez people are really into their trikes." June paused then turned to Ren and Nora... only to gape as they showed him pictures of their creations.

"Mine's Boop and Ren's is Ping!"

"Am I the only one here who HASN'T made one of these things yet?" A black gloved and delicate hand raised.

"I haven't. Then of course my mentor had me learn how to make other... more sensitive things." Blake had the decency to blush before looking briefly yet guiltily at Weiss.

"oooooh, Blake would you like to try your hand at it? Might give us a base to grade Jaune's work on." Ruby grinned, thinking about more lovelies she could possibly see.

"No. I don't see a reason to waste the resources on something I doubt I will need to use."

"Awww, come on, please?" Ruby turned on the charm, but true to nature, Blake seemed VERY disinterested.

"No."

"I'll buy you a book when next we get into Vale~!" Blake looked up, intrigued, but said nothing. Ruby sweetened the deal. "And an all you can eat at Blue Crab at the same time." Blake's bow seemed to twitch, belying nothing. Her eyes however gleamed of greed and Ruby knew she had her next victi-eh tester.

"What do I need to do?"

"Simply you will need to-"

-o0O0o-

"-Build a tricycle with only this?" Jaune remarked as he stared at the collection of items on the table before him.

"Well this and anything else you can think up in an hour using the equipment behind you. You and Blake will be judged on functionality, craftsmanship, and useability."

"Blue Crab, right?" Blake's insistence made Ruby sigh exasperatedly.

"Ugh, yes Blake, Blue Crab. Now pay attention and when I say begin. head to your tables and start working. You will have one hour..." She paused and the voices of the others came over them.

"Ten Lien that he can build it but the wheel doesn't turn." Weiss at least had the thought he could build it even if it didn't work.

"I'll take that, but 5 more says he'll get his hoodie caught in a joint." Dammit Yang. They all began gambling about his prospects. It hurt, in a manner almost reminiscent of his family, that they would. Even moreover, Pyrrha who was his biggest supporter, didn't believe he would get out of this unscathed. His head bowed and he tried not to let the comments hit him. He did have 17 years worth of experience, it shouldn't be hard.

"BEGIN!" Ruby shouted. Blake calmly walked to her table, reading some blueprints. But the feelings of everyone's opinion found a softer spot than he realized and made Jaune pause before he even began. If even his friends thought he would mess up wouldn't it be easier to just not do it and go home? It would be nearing harvest season too, so maybe he could take half a year to cry out his failed dream and then apprentice with a farmer in spring. "Jaune, I said begin." He tried to rationalize his feelings but before Yang's voice broke over them again.

"Anyone bet that he wouldn't start?" Wow, guys, really? Jaune's form crumpled, didn't anyone have any faith in him, anywhere?

"Wow, guys, really?!" Ruby responded angrily while looking at them sternly, earning sheepish and apologetic faces, before turning a concerned eye back to the tall blonde. "What's wrong?"

"Ruby, I don't think I can do this. Maybe they are right." Maybe he had only been one who didn't see it. His head hurt. It really did. Almost as much as his heart. "I can't focus."

"So don't." Ruby looked up at him, big silver eyes and a smile so unlike the one she had in the days past. This wasn't Ruby the hardline teacher, this was Ruby the friend and fellow leader. "Just think about something else, or just think 'What Would Ruby Do?', and let your body do it. Your mind knows what it needs to know, I read your paper, remember? I know you can do this."

"You really think so?"

"I know so, after all I was like you until my Uncle Qrow gave me that book and tested me the same way. I just had a few years head start on you is all. You'll do fine, Jaune."

"Uh, right."

"Oh and you've wasted a minute and a half, so get moving JAUNE!"

"R-RIGHT!" The cheers from his friends as he scrambled away washed any ill he felt towards them.

Reaching his table he began looking at the diagram of the tricycle given to him by Ruby.

Okay he can do this he can do this... just remember what Ruby had mentioned, What would Ruby do? She would... oh hey this isn't so hard, and then this... wow, he couldn't believe it worked. His hands began to blur and for as long as he thought about Ruby and what she would do he continued to build. It was simply amazing! His mind, for so long had been tormented by caffeine, thousands of pages of complex writing burnt into the abused pseudo-muscle through Ruby's drill Sargent inducing floods of adrenaline, and finally the extreme lack of sleep had brought Jaune to a place few had been able to reach. Many who did had to spend nearly decades of meditation to or psychotropic agents to begin a spirit journey to reach what he did simply out of sheer desperation. Some people called it their 'Happy Place', others 'The Zone', 'Enlightenment', 'Mind Fortress', and one called it her 'Pancake Castle of Boop'. But Jaune's mind merely flowed the ideas and before he even knew it the hour was called. Like a puppet whose strings were cut, Jaune's 60 hour day finally came to a close and he was out, leaning against a cool metal surface of a near exact duplicate of Ruby's 'tricycle'.

-o0O0o-

"Oh no, there's another one." Yang's depressed, almost horrified, comment was one of the first thing Jaune heard when he came to minutes later.

"It certainly is... Impressive." What was, Pyrrha? Blake's trike? His eyes opened to look view Blake's humble ride, looking like a simple black tricycle with a black ribbon streamer on the right handlebar. There did seem to be something under the seat but this shadow of something big hid it from further scrutiny.

In the just three minute nap he had gotten it seemed to have given him a chance to switch fuses and the super strong coffee that was being pressed into his hands by Ren got him moving but it didn't feel like it was enough if it was letting him hallucinate about the thing in front of him. He rubbed his eyes again and focused on the shadow producing object. No way.

"Oh, of all things, a savant." Weiss seemed utterly stunned as she looked up at the barrel of the gun attached to the thing he must have made if the Arc symbol upon it was any sign.

"Ooo, it's that word again!" Ruby looked indignant. "What does that mean?" Weiss wanted him as some sort of boy toy? Not Jaune Arc, nope free spirited was he.

"Sorry, Snow Angel, no matter how I feel about you this guy is nobody's servant." Jaune tried to be suave, but all it did was incite further ire in the Schnee heiress.

"No you dolt, a SA-vant, not a SER-vant!" Weiss all but yelled at the clueless person who finally heard the difference in her words.

"A what?" Jaune blinked and Weiss face palmed, trying to keep from screaming at him. He turned to the one person who always helped him with the bigger words said by Weiss. Pyrrha smiled shyly.

"A savant is a gifted person who knows a lot about a particular subject..." Pyrrha trailed off, looking a tad uncomfortable.

"Oh!" Ruby and Jaune echoed and looked to each other. "We're gifted!" They gave each other high five. Oh wow, that sounded cool, Jaune liked that. Ruby nodded. Yeah, it was totally cool!

"But usually at the cost of other abilities or subjects." Blake finished. Ruby and his expression dropped. That sounded bad.

"Awuuu." The two harmonized again.

"They are even in sync now. Is this what Signal had to put up with with me and dad?"

"Anyways," Ruby growled out before coughing int her hand and unfolding Crescent Rose. Seriousness filled the girl now standing tall, the large scythe arcing over her head against the morning light giver her lithe form more poignancy. "Jaune Arc, as a certified craftswoman of Patch, sanctioned and authorized by Vale's council body, I hereby apprentice you." Crescent Rose fell to gently rest upon her shoulder, her smile was one of happiness they reached deep into her silver eyes. It really made her look beautiful and mature. Jaune shook his sleep addled head, no betraying Weiss. "Congratulations Jaune, you passed with flying colors. I knew you could do it." Her words made him smile. He could do it. Not only would it help him make a new weapon, but her help could mean him being able to help others by helping... others. Man, why did that sound really awkward?

"Why did you do that with with your weapon, Ruby?" Nora asked.

"Because I thought it looked dignified." The hammer wielder gave a look, then giggled.

"You wanted to look all mature and grownup for Jaune didn't you?" Nora singsonged then pantomimed Ruby using Magnhild instead of Crescent Rose. "Jaune Arc, don't I, Ruby Rose, look all sexy and cool? Does my adult behavior and warm words make you forget your crush on my cold, unfeeling, partner?" Jaune sighed knowing the blow up was coming.

"HEY!" Weiss looked angry, "Nora! That's rude!"

"Yeah! Besides, it WAS cool! A-and NO!" She blushed looking at Jaune's curious expression. "Stop making fun of me Nora!" Ruby began chasing the red haired girl around the courtyard like his little sister angry that an older one ate her pudding. Gone was the mature Ruby he had glimpsed. "You still owe me my pudding from lunch too!"

Never mind, he was screwed. Ren patted his shoulder, knowing how he was feeling.

Next Chapter: Crescent Twins.

-o0O0o-

Omake: Alternate chapter ending, by me!

"Uh... Yang..." Ruby sounded breathless and uncertain as she stared at Jaune's version of her TR1cyle. Yang, ever the big sister, came rushing over.

"Ruby, are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I saw what Jaune did and it got me all breathless and my tummy tingled, and um... this is really embarrassing..." She leaned in close so only Yang could hear and whispered. "Now my lady parts feel all w-weird." Yang tensed and glared at a oblivious Jaune who merely stared at his creation in awe and confusion. "It's never happened before. A-am I going to die?"

"No Ruby" Yang tried to sound as calm as she could but her eyes glowed red. "But someone might 'Yang' until dead if he isn't careful."

Back at the 'tricycle' Jaune felt a wave of killer intent wash over him. Shivering, he did what he always did when he felt like something was going to kill him. Hit on Weiss. After all, why not go for broke?

-o0O0o-

AN:Now that's more like it. This chapter took a bit more oomph and effort than I would have liked but it is totally inspired by Dishwasher1910's amazing art. Find him on Deviant and Tumbler.

He drew an absolutely adorable RWBY comic labeled 'Little Mad Genius', link below.

URL: dishwasher1910. Deviantart art /RWBY-Little-mad-genius- 568510569 -Just take out the spaces.

Though I may have tweaked the final design for TR1-cycle a bit. Man I need some more action, I'm getting Yang all messed up. She needs to go fight something here soon. Can't do that to my RWBY team girl. And Jaune's awake one moment sleep next is an homage to Monty's power down snooze mode.

 **Reviews:** Some of my replies are rather long, but hopefully well worth reading as they help you delve into my rendition of Remnant and actually add a little to the story. I had an absolute ball writing them.

 **Darth Cruel:** Thanks, it's definitely an experiment on my part I'm hoping will keep on working out.

 **Damn it Bobby:** Yup, still a buildup chapter, but we're getting there. As for how many babies? I think I'll let Ruby answer that. Ruby?

"Well, now that's I've gotten to see Jaune in action, and a taste of his skill, I know I'll be working him hard!" Ruby remarked resolutely. Yang, Weiss, Blake and JNPR all paused to listen as she continued the interview. "If he can stoke the fires of my forge hot enough, he can stick his steel inside till it's red hot! He'd be able to get it into folds so easy and hammer away with all his might, before dipping it into cool soothing water and getting it all wet and ready for another go. You have to do it right, he won't be getting off that easy! But if his stamina holds we could probably go all night and it'd make his steel so hard that his sword will go into anything he wants. The baby we would make would be so beautiful, so perfect, I wouldn't be able to resist and I'd just have to beg him to try and make as many as we can!" Jaune's face was on fire, as was most of everyone else.

"Does she even know what that sounds like?" Weiss commented, trying to cover her face to hide her blushing. "It's embarrassing!"

"Sis! You really need to work on your words. Jeez." Yang was broken, so much teasing material to use, but it was her baby sister talking like that, she couldn't figure out if she should give a mortified shriek or amused laugh. The resulting sound was... odd to say the least.

"...this is amazing." Blake was drooling as she scribbled Ruby's words down as fast as she could, the top of the notebook page was a title. Forge of Lust.

"Wow, way to go Jauney!" Nora wooted, giving said person a thump on the back that had him splayed out on the ground. Pyrrha looked to Jaune is a manner similar to Nora did to pancakes and Ren looked contemplative. He walked over to Jaune and helped him up.

"Jaune, do you think you could help me upgrade Stormfl-!" He was cut off as Crescent Rose's sniper form was put into his face and a round chambered in.

"Don't even think about it, he's mine." The look of seriousness made the ever stoic Ren pale and back away, hands up in a calming manner. When suitably far enough away for her, Ruby closed the gun and wrapped her arm around Jaune's arm and laid her head against his shoulder. "All his babies are Mommies."

[Scribble scribble scribble.] "Ruby, your amazing." Blake whispered to herself.

Uh... well D.i.B... There you have it.

 **Arvindr:** Thanks again for the heads up. Hopefully you got to read the actual Chapter Two.

 **Axel yamamoto:** Thank you for the compliment, and is it sad to say I've learned that with how I write if I have a set goal for a plot usually the more cramped and awkward the story gets until it's no longer fun so I can agree with not truly having an idea where the plot will go. A vague plan is about it, but that's more than my 'Fakers!' Naruto story had and I feel like that was my absolute best work to date. I'm hoping Jaune might have a bit of an upgrade, but it's not really making him anything more than a plot device to ensue that we get him interacting with various members of the show. Ruby and his interactions are going to be a driving force in a lot of this, but he will eventually also interacting with whomever fits my fancy or gets enough interest in being seen by you fans.

I was wondering when someone was going to call me on the forge thing. However I have Professor Ozpin here to go over the reason for this in a special World of Remnant. Roll clip!

 **The World of Remnant:**

 **Weapons**

"A weapon is a tool designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage. A means of gaining an advantage or defending oneself in a conflict or contest."

 **An Image of a silhouette of Jaune appears, Croeca Mors in hand. Going through various stances, blocking with shield and swinging with sword.**

"Since Man's first appearance from the dust he has fought his way from the very brink of annihilation with the use of weapons. A sword, born of Man's ingenuity, would allow him to take life, while a shield, from his desperation, would allow him to keep it."

 **He was replaced with a view of the world map of Remnant. The sounds of swords clash and from the darkness the four castles that made up the kingdoms appeared.**

"Since time immemorial the forging of weapons had been in stride of the founding of the four great nations of Remnant. But as the nations growth grew stagnant, the craftsmanship of the tools to keep these nations safe never ceased. From the simple sword and shield, the strive towards the perfection of both offense and defense has lead to rather... remarkable creations."

 **Jaune's silhouette reappeared but this time with a Nora, Cardin, and Ruby by his side, each going through the motions of fighting an unseen foe. A Pyrrha replaced Cardin, and Jaune with a Yang as the girls weapons began to morph into their various forms, firing rounds of dust into the direction of creatures of Grimm.**

"Swords were joined with numerous others varieties, following that, the ability for weapons to be crafted with the purpose to use the elements of dust, to eventually change form to best suit whatever need arose."

 **Croeca Mors' shield shadow took the place of the girls, before the sides of the shield grew to block small attacking Grimm forms, behind it stood one of the castles.**

"Shields would become walls, giving mankind the needed time to build even more fantastical weapons. With these city sized shields, mankind took to focusing their energies to building weapons, all with the hope to try and push back against the darkness."

 **A basic figure mined in a dark shaft, before uncovering a shiny material that he pulled out and held up into the light.**

"In the last thirty years, metals of newer, far more resilient make were found and became the norm for crafting the next generation of huntsman tools and weaponry. The metals could withstand far beyond the ability of normal steel and thus could take considerable punishment before even having to be sharpened. It also allowed the various transformation modes became so robust that wear and tear virtually became a thing of the past."

 **The Ruby silhouette returned, her crescent rose spinning and transforming before the blade made a horrible cricking sound and became stuck unnaturally. The Ruby shade bowed her head before quickly walking into a suddenly appearing store with a hammer and anvil as a sign. Hammer to metal sounds soon erupted.**

"In the rare occasion a hunter's weapon does falter, it could mean the life and death of themselves, their team, or perhaps an entire village, so if the tool cannot be fixed by their hand, specialist blacksmiths exist in nearly all of the four kingdoms, capable of finding the flaws and removing the issue. They rarely come cheap, but to a hunter or huntress who will go deep into the forests of the world to keep others safe for days, weeks, even years at a time, it will mean the the success, or failure, of their mission."

 **The Beacon forge was shown in a bright light, various forms working on then picking up many different styles of weapons. A rotund shape picked up a axe like blunderbuss, a woman in red tones picking up a rapier whip, a red caped figure and a white cloaked girl picked up a scythe and chained blade respectively. However as each figure finished their weapon the slower the next person appeared to pick up their own and the light shining down on the forge drew smaller until it spotlighted a last shape, a short, brutish woman picked up a broadsword and heavy shield with the Arc symbol upon it. As this figure faded away, the light shining on the forge extinguished.**

"With the overspecialization of weapon designs and sheer resilience of the materials, graduate forges across remnant began to shut down. With hunters and huntress' having built and refined the weapons they would use for the rest of their lives in primary school, it allows Beacon, Haven, Atlas, and Shade to focus on teaching the students all they could to survive out in the Grimmlands. Away from the shields that had allowed them to grow in the first place."

 **The World of Remnant**

And I hope that answers that.

I really wonder about myself if writing these replies should be almost as fun as writing the actual stories... even if they DO fit in said story... sorta Love the reviews folks, can't wait to get more if they are this fun to reply to. Until next time, Keep Moving Forward. ~Hibiki


	4. Crescent Twins

It wasn't suppose to be this way, but with Croeca Mors destroyed and Ozpin giving him two months to design a new weapon to replace it, he's taking every chance he can to fix what he feels is his worst problem. Yet as Ruby helps him to build the perfect weapon, he learns more than he bargains for from his fellow Huntsmen and Huntress' about what it means to be a Huntsman.

The Forge of Life

by

Hibiki

Beta'd by

Hibiki and his iphone for days afterward.

Imagine you could have the rights to RWBY, but for the rest of your life, you would have to clean up every mess or problem created by every Rooster Teeth 'Million Dollars, But..." challenge accepted. Would it be worth it? Not for me.

RWBY is created by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

Chapter Four: Crescent Twins.

-o0O0o-

With a fulls days rest, a fresh pot of his new friend coffee, and more confident in his chances of not being a hopeless failure who had to drop out of Beacon and spend the rest of his days picking crops and hoping a boarbatusk didn't eat him or said crops. Jaune blinked and took another drink of his coffee, shaking his head again at his abnormal thoughts and refocused on the matter on hand.

And that was a list of possible weapons he would want to try and build, all with the hopes he could find something that fit him. He had spent that morning going through a weapons catalog and had taken note of anything that had tickled his fancy.

Walking to the foundry, he found Ruby already there, rather adorably napping against a stack of prefabricated steel sheets they would use to craft the various prototypes. It was essential they do this before they settled on a particular weapon, because while plentiful in nature the various special metals that they would craft the final piece or pieces were uncommon enough no to be wasted spent building a useless tool. He owed it to Yang to take a photo he would give her later then went to wake his friend.

Thankfully, unlike Nora, Ruby awoke with minimal fuss and a lot less hazardous hammer directed at the offender. Discreetly letting her wipe away a bit of drool from both her cheek and the steel sheet, he busied himself with fixing in a spare cup the coffee from his thermos he had prepared. He pulled a premixed bag of sweetener and added it to the cup before presenting the mug the newly freshened and spittle free girl. He had from their various study sessions learned how the younger girl liked her coffee flavored sugar.

"So, Jaune, what shall we try making today? Something simple? Or should we jump in and try something complex and like really really cool." The smile on her face and the fact her arms kept getting wider and wider sparked something deep in the recesses of his mind. That little boy who wanted a super strong all powerful weapon, be the biggest strongest hunter in the world, and save everyone from millions of Grimm.

"Yeah!" With that, the two began building together. Words flowed forth between them, each rebuttal more harmonizing than the next as the creation was formed over the next few hours. "It should have a big long range gun so it can hit from far away. My team has always been very close quarters."

[tink tink tink!]

"Totally, and if we're adding a gun, why not make the blade longer! Better reach is always good."

[gR-IIIIIIIIIII-nk]

"True, but the bigger blade will need reinforcement. That book had said curved blades could take more stress, and if we could have the transformation possible, it could be variable!"

[vritt vriit~!]

"Ooo, what about having a few modes so you could have a straight blade and a curved blade?"

[cha-click!]

"I like it! Now, with a gun like this it'll need a long stock, maybe a hand and a half?"

[whirrrrrrrrrckl]

"Why stop there, the bigger the hand hold the better you can swing the blade HARDER, remember the chapter on Zanabato and Nagamaki?"

[VERRRrnrrrrrnrnrnrnrnrdddd-d-d-d-d-d]

"Oh yeah, but given the gun barrel it'll have to stay straight for the most part. So maybe it can fold down. For better use in closer fighting."

[Jri-ii-iii-iishk]

"Already on it."

Ruby pulled back as Jaune finished the final pieces to their very first work. And frowned.

"Uh Jaune?"

"Just a second, I need to recalibrate this and... DONE!" He lifted the weapon above his head. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah... But." She tried to figure out a way to say it. "Doesn't it look awfully familiar?" Jaune paused and set the weapon down, taking in the whole picture.

"Uh. Ruby?" He tried to calmly say.

Sigh "Yes, Jaune?"

"Is this a... Scythe?" Because that couldn't be what they made, right?

"It's also apparently a customizable high... impact sniper... r-rifle?" She didn't seem to be fairing much better either at least.

"Eh?" He piteously whined. How had they missed this?

"It's also a gun!" She looked almost hysterical to the steel colored reflection of Crescent Rose. "Oh my Geez! We made a copy of my baby! We weren't suppose to make twins!"

"How... WHYYYYYY~?" Jaune's cry echoed over the campus, melding into the lunch bell signaling noon. The whole morning, wasted.

-o0O0o-

"Are you okay Jaune?" Ren asked cautiously. His leaders head had not risen from it's spot limp against the table since he and a worried Ruby had joined them.

"I'm fine..." He weakly replied. "Just let me lay here until they kick me out."

"But you built a weapon, right? Even if it wasn't all that great or the kind you were meaning to or just a stick with tape on it, they can't expel you, right?" Nora added.

"We made a weapon." He bemoaned. "So I guess it's true. But I don't think I deserve to be here. I mean, I can't even build a sword right!" [thud thud thud] Pyrrha's tea bounced in time with Jaune's falling and rising forehead as it struck the table.

"Jaune, it's not all that bad. Remember, you have just over two months to pick your final design." Pyrrha calmly and gently admonished. "You just need something to handle combat class until the end of the semester. Can this new weapon work until then?" Jaune rose his head.

"Ruby?"

"Whev, Wrephent Ark iv-" She took a sip of her milk to finish washing down the cookies she had been annihilating. "Uh, sorry! Crescent Arc should be just as capable as my sweetheart is. It's just made with cheaper materials so it will only hold up so much before it fails. Be very careful with our baby, Jaune."

"Okay~." Jaune called out without any drive. The tables went silent as they processed what the leader of RWBY said.

"Crescent? ARC?" They all commented. They as one turned their gaze to Jaune, who had gone back to banging his head on the table. [thud thud thud] "What did you make?"

"As Yang would put it, a 'Scythe'per rifle."

"Oh? OH! Hey~! Nice one!" The brawler exclaimed. Jaune groaned at his own pun along with everyone except Yang.

"Keep egging her on and I'll stop helping you." Ruby warned. "Crescent Arc is deserving of better!"

"Jaune, do you even know how to use a Scythe?" Blake asked, slender eyebrow raised in question.

Jaune's head thumping grew stronger in reply.

"He really IS a savant." Weiss remarked over the sounds of Jaune crying.

-o0O0o-

"Okay. So we don't have much time to get a lot of practice in so let's get started." Ruby announced, she handed Jaune Crescent arc in it's collapsed travel size. They had all finished lunch quickly to return to the forge and his only hope of passing the next class, which started in twenty minutes. "Okay shift it into Scythe form, Jaune, and we'll go over some basic stances that you can move to that will at least let you not get thrown out of the ring." Jaune nodded then looked at the weapon in his hands. He gave it the once over, rolling it several times in his hands before sighing.

"I'm lost. How do you open it?"

The friends who had gathered around him all face planted into the ground.

"Your aura!" Ruby cried out. "You touch it with your aura and the shift happens automatically. Literally these weapons are extensions of our selves just like your aura is."

"Ruby, Jaune was still working on Aura when his sword was broken, he's not completely ready yet."

"No, I need to be. Just let me try. I can do this!" He closed his eyes and tried to focus on his aura. He knew what to look for. Sweat dripped off his forehead as he strained to grab hold of that mass of white light that he could always feel deep inside him. He finally reached out and touched it. His eyes opened and the compact from of his weapon shifted and changed into it's gunmetal gray version of Crescent Rose. "YES! I did it!" He looked around, no one was there. "Uh guys?"

"That's great Jaune, but you took fifteen minutes to do it! So we need to race to class!" Ruby remarked from the corner that lead to combat wing of the school. "Hurry!" Panic filled him and he charged after them, Crescent Arc open and it's blade exposed.

Needless to say, chaos ensued.

-o0O0o-

"It's a good thing Ms. Scarlatina is understanding, Mr. Arc, because I am not." Goodwitch was having no rebuttals as she laid into Jaune. The young man's face was red from far more than the scolding and massive red hand print curtsey of one Coco Adel. "You could have seriously hurt someone bringing your weapon loose into the halls. Be glad it was only a blouse and not someone's head that you accidentally ripped open. Be more prudent next time and retract all blades while walking _calmly_ to class."

"Yes. Ma'am." Honestly he hadn't meant to. Racing to class he had taken a corner when someone yelled. He turned to understand what, when he felt something tug on his weapon. Uncertain he paused and when he stopped something white blocked his vision. He only realized it was a girl's shirt when he pulled it off, and to his utter horror he was staring right at a VERY embarrassed Velvet. At a LOT of Velvet at that. In fact he could see where her blush stopped.

He then blanked out, utterly lost in awe at how much he was getting an eyeful of before Coco had the decency to knock him into the floor where he promptly apologized profusely until Goodwitch had come to his rescue. If you called getting scolded a rescue. His face flushed anew at the memory. "I'll apologize again as best I can to as soon as class ends."

"Be sure that you do. To give you the best chance to do so, let's have you and Mr. Winchester go first."

Jaune gulped as Cardin smirked and strode forward into the ring.

"Why do I always get stuck with him?" He mumbled to himself as he checked his ammunition and his weapon before stepping after the broader man.

"Okay, Jaune. I'll make this easy on ya, since I broke your family blade. I'll knock you out in two hits, alright?" Cardin was still a jerk, even though he wasn't AS much a jerk as he was before the Ursa.

"Gee, thanks." Jaune spat as he held his scythe in front of him, cambering a round in as he had seen Ruby due to Crescent Rose so many times before. He could do this. Keep Cardin at bay until he could just reap the guy with the blade. Simple enough, he could do this! He smirked and put his finger in the trigger.

"Uh oh." Ruby perked up at that, her eyes wide in worry.

"What, sis?" Yang looked as Ruby fidgeted.

"The safety on Crescent Rose and Arc are the same." Ruby said before cupping her hands to call out. "Jaune, the safety is Aura based!"

"Begin!"

[Click]

Jaune's smirk vanished. He stared down at his weapon in shock.

[click click click]

The light from above faded, forcing the knight to look up as Cardin stood over Jaune with his mace raised.

"Eeeeh-ehehe. Be gentle?"

[WHAM! WHAM!]

"Mr. Arc's aura is in the red and he is unable to continue combat. Mr. Winchester has won the round." Jaune watched as Cardin was replaced with Goodwitch. "While I admire your fervor in wanting to apologize to Ms. Scarlatina, you should perhaps think about how badly this score will go towards your final grade, Mr. Arc. You are dismissed."

Jaune only groaned from the floor. Crescent Arc folded back into it's compact form. Why him?

-o0O0o-

Next Chapter: Aura Training Failure

AN: This took WAY too much to pull out. It's annoying. I wanted this out this week, a Neapolitan next week, and a BRNJR the week after that. Instead my head pulls a Neapolitan first then say, okay you can go and work on Forge of Life now. And this is really only half the chapter I wanted to put, but the rest is a bit mouthy and I'd rather have two shorter chapters that have enough story than one LONG boring thing with people trying to shift through too much.

Reviews:

Azure Saiyan: Thanks, I really have fun when odd ideas pop up but I hate when they can't really be used in the story proper.

Damn it Bobby: Ruby is who ruby is, I see her pulling all manner of odd things especially as they were fleshing her out in Volume 1-2 where this story falls. What's really scary is that me and Lindsey Jones have around the same octave of voice and given my voice acting work when I was younger I get how she makes Ruby's voice. I am a damn good mimic too. So when I am stuck I just talk like Ruby and Jaune and often do lines in their voices to see if they sound accurate to the characters or not. Of course I sound like "Ruben" Rose, Ruby's twin brother more than Ruby Rose. Thank God for THAT!

Clockwork Giant: They'll be making babies for the rest of this story! They'll have so many babies that CPS will be called!

Tusk Act IV: Glad you like it 'for now' (worried...) But you are right, though to be fair, I didn't realize how similar some of my ideas were until I was already writing this. As for Ruby being who she is, it's based on her love of weapons, a few choice deviant art comics, and a need for a reason.  
I dunno about adding an OC. I really wanted to keep it with Jaune building things and learning something from each of the people who helps him doing it. I still am setting up to be honest. Unless people ask interesting questions I'll probably just be keeping them simple and at the back of the story. I MIGHT make an exception with World of Remnant bits.  
Also working on the paragraph sizes as you are not along mentioning that. Working on it is all I can say.

Anonymous dick: Thanks, I am trying to keep from having too many side stories so that way I can focus on what I have. However I'm track building as I go so we'll see where this ends up. I'm an avid rambler though so I will try and keep on task. Gem, RWBY? Heh nice... pun? … Wait-a-minute. Putting the word dick in the title? Making bad puns? Barbara?

Arvindr: Thanks, WoR's are more fun than they should be. If interesting questions keep flying my way I can see making more.

Chronotimeguard: Glad it's doing what it should. You always want to see something sound and act like the original piece and why in very odd and creepy ways I can make sure it does, it's good to know that. Thanks and hope it continues to be worth checking and reviewing about.

Brandon2071: Glad your enjoying it, thanks for the review, it really helps me know I'm going the right path.


	5. Aura Training Failure

It wasn't suppose to be this way, but with Croeca Mors destroyed and Ozpin giving him two months to design a new weapon to replace it, he's taking every chance he can to fix what he feels is his worst problem. Yet as Ruby helps him to build the perfect weapon, he learns more than he bargains for from his fellow Huntsmen and Huntress' about what it means to be a Huntsman.

The Forge of Life

by

Hibiki

Beta'd by

Hibiki and his iphone for days afterward.

Imagine you could have the rights to RWBY, but for the rest of your life, you would have to clean up every mess or problem created by every Rooster Teeth 'Million Dollars, But..." challenge accepted. Would it be worth it? Not for me.

RWBY is created by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

Chapter Five: Aura Training Failure

-o0O0o-

Jaune panted as he tried to catch his breath. Was sitting around and doing nothing for HOURS suppose to be this exhausting?

It had been a week since he began working with Crescent Arc, and besides finally unlocking the weapon from it's compact form and being able to fire it within seconds, he had learned one vital lesson about Scythes...

He absolutely hated them. Having been mostly accustomed to a straight bladed weapon like a sword, learning not to swing the blade like said sword took almost as much time as he had taken trying to work on his Aura. How many times he had merely knocked his opponent away rather than do any damage as he caught them in the curved part of the blade? The area almost as dull as the armor he wore. How hard it was to ignore the urge to attack them like a sword and how many times he tripped himself up when he DID remember and couldn't get the right angles to do more than a glancing blow when he tried to reap.

As much as he knew Croeca Mors was an ill fit, it seemed Crescent Arc was almost if not worse. Every time when he wanted to bring up that fact to Ruby, who was taking valuable time to help him learn how to handle the unwieldy thing, how could he look into those hopeful silver eyes and break her excitment by admitting the unintentional weapon they had created was a mistake more than actually building it was. He was wasting everyone's time trying to keep at the weapon, so he garnered his courage. He would tell her, even if she stopped helping him, he could figure out what to do on his own. It was best for her sake. He told himself that he would tell her in the coming week, no matter how much he feared she would cry.

What that boiled down to was that with his usual ability with girls and awkward situations meant that by the week's end, Ruby called him passable, but laughable and Jaune told himself he had no spine to speak of at all. Jaune questioned what Ruby meant by the comment, trying to ignore his internal self pity, and was rewarded that according to Yang, it meant 'decent' by their uncle, Qrow. He was the man who had taught Ruby her trade and as far as it meant for him, Qrow would probably belive Jaune wasn't about to cut his toes off. But despite his growing affinity for the Scythe, it still Jaune with a weapon he feared he was stuck with due to his inability to say 'no' to the younger cute leader of RWBY.

But that wasn't the issue at hand at the moment, what was at hand was the brilliant glow of his Aura. He finally summoned the glow on command. In addition to training in scythes, Pyrrha's tenacity to help him in any way had paid off in spades as she focused on what she did know, Aura. Almost as exhausting as the physical training ruby had put him through, Pyrrha's meditation was just as brutal. The last week had left him virtually comatose every time his head hit the pillow only to wake up, dragged sometimes by Nora to class and then by both Ruby's happy and Pyrrha's hopeful expressions to do training torture all over again. The payoff was, that Ruby had mentioned that when he was able to do the aura exercise, they would begin an important next step to using Crescent Arc or any Aura based firearm.

Excitement urged him past his limits that morn, and despite it being a day off for them all, and one he felt he desperately needed, Jaune and Ruby found they had gained a crowd of their teammates while Ruby passed him a special looking ammo magazine. Looking much like the one he was use to using, it's one not so subtle change was the embossed fire logo upon it. Jaune looked intrigued at the symbol as their friends mumbled loudly ready to witness Jaune's next 'Big Adventure!'. Yeah, Jaune rather liked Nora's way of putting it rather than Weiss' cold 'Lets see the idiot fail again.' remark.

"Good morning Student Arc, today we will begin instructing you in charging dust rounds with Aura to make them more potent. I have supplied you with some low yield fire dust rounds that you will be charging and firing at the targets I have provided."

"Using Aura to power dust in the rounds? You mean like how Yang makes her shotgun rounds fly like fireworks?"

"Yup! Basically it's an ability we picked up from hybrids users who could fight like Weiss and Professor Goodwitch, but preferred weapons with further ranges than a _fancy smancy sword_ can do."

"Hey!" Weiss uttered in reproach.

"So as stories go, there was a warrior princess named Chaika was one of the first Dust Snipers, thought to be active some ten years after the Great War, and is still unmatched today, some fifty years after her death, in sending her powers in round form at incredible ranges. What we're going to do it teach you how to do the most basic version of that, and basically what nearly every Huntsman and Huntress do." Jaune could only shake her head as the younger teen began rambling on about her passion. He had gained a far better respect for those who had come before as the girl prattled on, a happy glow about her as she admired weapons and their masters living and past.

"Alright." Jaune loaded Crescent Arc and chambered a round in.

"Uh Ruby." To Jaune's surprise, Pyrrha stepped forward, looking very awkward. "I don't really think that's wise." Pyrrha softly remarked.

"Why, you both said he's improved and mastered the Aura exercise, he should be able to do it, right?" Ruby turned her doe like silver eyes on Pyrrha, and Jaune felt for a moment justified as even the 4 timed Mistral champ fell to the might of Ruby's innocent stare.

"Yeah, Pyrrha, you said I was doing very well. Ruby says this is an easy thing to do." Jaune was ready for something new, his ability in summoning his Aura easily had boosted his confidence higher than it had been since he saved Cardin all those weeks ago. Maybe, just maybe if this worked out he could garner enough credit to tell his friend that Scythes were her and her Uncle's domain and he should be looking in others. Yeah.

"Well yes, you have improved by leaps and bounds, but charging rounds is a delicate process and Jaune's control can be rather..." Pyrrha sadly trailed off, unwilling to tell her leader and crush that his Aura control was about as soft as Nora was gentle when swinging her hammer. Sky was still in a wheelchair at the moment, she remembered. So yes, about the same.

"So it's no problem!" Ruby remarked cheerfully, Pyrrha unable to say anything more, despite her fears. "So this is what you need to do to channel Aura into the rounds which will enhance the dust in them with however much Aura you want to add..." Ruby began to explain, Jaune listened intently. The rest of the group looked to Jaune and Pyrrha, half expecting the redhead to say something else, but she remained just as worried and passive as before. Ren, usually wisest began to edge away slowly, Nora unknowingly doing the same as she hopped beside him. Blake was soon doing the same and even Yang had caught on and was whistling, hands in her short pockets, as she began a few steps towards Ruby.

"Alright, ready?" Said girl asked as Jaune took aim at the target.

"Ready!"

"Charge it!" Jaune nodded and pushed his Aura into the gun, focusing on making it to the ammo. What neither of them counted on was Pyrrha's original thoughts of Jaune. He had a LOT of Aura. It was like trying to put a tsunami into a kitchen sink.

"WHRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN-SHRIEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Crescent Arc cried out, leaving Jaune staring at it in horror as the entire gun began to vibrate and glow ominously.

"He overloaded the whole gun! It's going to explode!" Blake cried out as the rest of JNPR and RWBY began running away from him in mass, Yang snatching Ruby away the moment she knew it would go wrong. The act caught him completely flatfooted as a sheer moment of incredulity hit while his closest friends and allies left him. He stared blankly at his glowing steaming gun blade as the words the faunas cried finally pierced his dumbfounded stupor.

"It'll explode?! I don't want to explode! What do I do!? Oh geez!" He held the scythe at arms reach, fundamentally knowing that it wasn't going to be remotely far enough to save him, but fear was overriding common sense at this point. There was an additional unhealthy noise overpowering the still shrieking metal that reminded Jaune of the time one Nora's grenades failed to fire, lodged itself inside cooking in Manghild. The girl whom owned the weapon merely laughed it off but the damage the grenade did had all but destroyed the training room's bath area Ren, thinking fast, had thrown it to keep them all safe.

"Jaune! Shoot it into the air, fling it away before it kills us all!" Pyrrha yelled out, though she was safely away when she did, Jaune noted dimly. So much for him improving by leaps and bounds.

"No! We can still save him!" Ruby cried out from Yang's arms, there were tears in her eyes. With the gun making a groaning keening sound now, seemingly only seconds away from failure. Whether it was the sudden fear of death slowing time but Jaune managed to look between Pyrrha and Ruby with speed born of panic, taking in the calmer attitude that his red headed partner was projecting compared to the frantic screaming of Ruby. Pyrrha nodded and Jaune made his choice. Using a style much like his partners when she used her rifle as a spear, he lifted the now glowing gun and aimed for the highest point away from them, straight up. He put every ounce of force he could along with triggering the round in the weapon at the same time. With a tremendous burst of power the scythe wrenched itself from his grasp and towards the sky. He slammed into the ground and rolled over, unable to look away from the end of his weapon. It was there, half thinking he was unconscious as he watched as the impossible happened.

A cry of a Nevermore pierced through the area as the largest nevermore the school had ever seen appeared overhead. It was practically the same size of Beacon itself, and the city of Vale trembled with fear at the sight of this monster that blocked out the sun. It roared again as if laughing at the puny mortals who could never reach it at it's height. Up as high as it was, it was all but invincible.

It never knew what hit it.

Traveling at nearly mach 1, Crescent Arc made it's first and sadly, only, kill as it slammed into the open mouth of the bird Grimm. It's blade was all but rent off due to the substandard steel that made it, however it was enough to cleave the beak right off in a way that would have killed it right there in a matter of time. It was the main part of the weapon, however, with the rifle section's sharp pointed rear tip being the critical killer. The point slammed into the brain of the Grimm, causing it to falter just long enough that when remaining ammunition to finish the job, despite the paltry amount of fire dust. Enhanced by Jaune's mistake, the normal result should have been no worse than a single fire cracker, but by the sheer amount of aura used and infused into the weapon, the cooking ammo went off like a supernova. The Nevermore just simple was alive one moment, and dead the next in a brilliant display of light.

Like the bomb encased in steel that it was, the remains of Crescent Arc filled the soft vulnerable area with shrapnel. The red glowing eyes of the Nevermore faded only a half second before it's entire head was blown from it's body and the corpse's momentum was arrested by a blast that wiped out the countless little Nevermore that had been growing from inky darkness from the monster's sides. The entire city, Beacon Academy, and even some people across the world of Remnant watched as it's corpse faltered further still as the blinding light of it's killer's finale faded. The body slammed into the old wing of the school in a massive cloud of debris, just missing out intrepid bunch. As the already dissolving Grimm and it's cloud of debris came to rest silence reigned for several seconds before a choked and painful cry broke against the growing cheers Vales citizenry.

"Crescent Arc, NOOOOOOO!"

59 DAYS REMAINING

Next Chapter: Trial and Error-ed

-o0O0o-

Omake: Judge Rudy.

"You are about to enter the courtroom of Judge Rudolf Skobeloff. The people are real! The cases are real! The rulings are final! This is Judge Rudy!"

Ruby begins walking angrily to the front of the courtroom, the remaining team RWBY sitting already on the plaintiff's side, Blake waving a RWBY flag looking bored.

"Ruby Rose, a 15 year old huntress in training is suing her friend and acquaintance for the murder of their child."

Jaune began walking calmly down the path to the defendant's place, JNPR sitting in the seats behind him.

"Jaune Arc, 17, also a huntsmen in training. Jaune defends himself by claiming that the 'child' in question was nothing more than a prototype weapon that unfortunately exploded in a training accident. He also claims that the accident is what killed the Super Nevermore that threatened Vale last week."

The two swear an oath before they all rise as an older wolf faunas steps into the room. The sharp faced man sat in the bench, slipping up a falling pair of glasses as a bird faunas man wearing a Vale police outfit handed a document to be read.

"Case 007474. In the case of Ruby Rose Vs Jaune Arc." The judge thanks the bailiff before taking a good long look at the transcript. "The parties have been sworn in, you may be seated." The teams and various other in the courtroom did so.

The Judge was silent for a few moments, reading over the file. Then without looking up at the two he began speaking, his voice a gruff similar to his appearance.

"Was it a good weapon, Ms. Rose?"

"The best, your honorableness!"

"Like the one you made me?" Jaune began to sweat, realizing Ruby and Rudy knew one another.

"Yes sir! And _he_ broke him!"

"Fair enough. I find the defendant guilty, I file in favor of the plaintiff."

"Wait! What!?" Jaune was stunned. "I didn't even get a chance to defend myself!"

"Tell me, do you see that face?" Rudy pointed at Ruby, who looked sad and innocent. "Would that face lie?" Rudy and everyone turned and looked to Jaune, Ruby's face turning into an evil smirk at Jaune's stunned silence. "Mr. Arc will pay for Ms. Rose's damages and mental harm amounting to..." Rudy looked back to the suddenly tear faced teenage girl. "100 thousand lien."

"A-ach! HUNDRED THOUSAND!? That's PERPOSTEROUS~!"

"Officer Bird, he is in contempt of court, take him away and have him flogged."

"WHYYYYY~!?" Jaune cried as he was carried away.

-o0O0o-

AN:

Whew. This one. Well this one, BRNJR, Extra Scoop, and the currently unnamed one have kicked my ass. I have learned that if I give myself a goal... I just fuck it up. RL, writing, just about anything, if I go with whatever flow I feel, I do okay, I put myself to something, I flounder worst than that ill named fish from Disney. But finally. Here you go. Hope you like, despite the shortness of it. Sad when the Omake was written before everything else in the chapter because I had that idea before I finished part 4.

Reviews:

acw28: Because there is something I am hoping people will catch about Jaune here soon.

Haseoblade-Skyking01: Scythe yes, at least for a week anyway. As you can see, Jaune cannot control his Aura for well anything. Those would be two grenades that shift two seconds before they blow up. In his face.

JaredDrake: Uh... noted?

OBSERVER01: Crescent Arc has unfortunately is gone, but soon others will be present soon. Croeca Mors will return, but as it being repaired depends on how much I can legitimately make Jaune be able to do. SMG Shield? Shotgun Sword, interesting, I'm going to have this turn more in the direction I first wanted it to go VERY soon, but of course I am always willing to see where people would like to go weapon wise for Jaune.

najdrox Glad to hear you enjoy it. Sorry this one is a small one.


End file.
